2010
#127,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Shimazaki
A Japanese surname referring to someone from an island ("shima") field ("zaki").
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Shimazaki. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shimazaki surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Shimazaki in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shimazaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Shimazaki
The surname Shimazaki originates from Japan and dates back to the 8th century CE. It is derived from the Japanese words "shima" meaning island and "zaki" meaning peninsula or cape, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived on an island or coastal region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Shimazaki name can be found in the Shoku Nihongi, an ancient Japanese chronicle completed in 797 CE. The text mentions a clan leader named Shimazaki no Tomonori who held a prominent position during the Nara period (710-794 CE).
During the Kamakura period (1185-1333 CE), the Shimazaki family gained recognition as skilled swordsmiths and samurai warriors. Historical records from this era mention Shimazaki Masatsune, a renowned swordsmith who crafted blades for the Kamakura shogunate.
In the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), the Shimazaki name was associated with several notable figures, including Shimazaki Toson (1572-1638), a prominent Confucian scholar and educator, and Shimazaki Masatsugu (1618-1693), a daimyo (feudal lord) who governed the Akita Domain.
The Meiji era (1868-1912 CE) saw the rise of Shimazaki Toson (1872-1943), a celebrated novelist and poet who is considered one of the pioneers of modern Japanese literature. His works, such as "Hakai" (The Broken Commandment) and "Yoakemae" (Before the Dawn), explored themes of social criticism and human nature.
Another notable figure with the Shimazaki surname was Shimazaki Aki (1910-1973), a renowned Japanese writer and poet. Her works, including "Chijin no Ai" (A Chastity of Admirable Women) and "Kuro no Shuzoku" (Black Dresses), often focused on the struggles and experiences of modern Japanese women.
Throughout its history, the Shimazaki surname has been associated with various professions, including samurai warriors, swordsmiths, scholars, educators, writers, and poets. While its origins can be traced back to the 8th century CE, the name continues to hold significance in Japanese culture and society today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shimazaki
Among Census respondents with the surname Shimazaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Shimazaki bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shimazaki surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander83.2% · 89
- Two or more races11.2% · 12
- White3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shimazaki
Shimazaki appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-27 bearers (-20.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,145 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #127,494 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -27 bearers (-20.1%) | Down 24,145 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shimazaki surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #127,494 | #151,639 | -18.9% |
| Count | 134 | 107 | -20.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -28.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shimazaki bearers went from 134 to 107 (-20.1% change). The surname moved down 24,145 positions in the national ranking, going from #127,494 to #151,639.
FAQ
Shimazaki surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shimazaki?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Shimazaki. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Shimazaki?
Shimazaki ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Shimazaki. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Shimazaki.
Has Shimazaki become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shimazaki went from 134 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 27 (-20.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #127,494 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Shimazaki?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shimazaki, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (11.2%) and White (3.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shimazaki in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (89 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shimazaki appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (83.2%), Two or More Races (11.2%), White (3.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shimazaki (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shimazaki mean?
A Japanese surname referring to someone from an island ("shima") field ("zaki"). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shimazaki (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Shimazaki?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Shimazaki on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.